The present disclosure relates to an applicator box with an interchangeable blade assembly. One example of an applicator box is a finisher box, as described in greater detail below. However, applicator boxes can be applied in different scenarios and can be used with materials other than those for a finisher box.
Finisher boxes are used to apply drywall joint compound (or other materials) over wall seams or other joints to seal and finish them. Because these materials generally shrink when setting or drying, excess material (e.g., a crown) is often applied over depressed areas to compensate for the shrinkage in those areas, leaving the finished result flatter than it would be otherwise. Currently, these materials are pushed out of the finisher boxes and finished with a blade or screed. Blade assemblies of the finisher boxes have mechanisms built into them to add varying amounts of crown depending on how much the operator feels is needed. These mechanisms add complexity, cost, and weight to the box and require that the operator have some knowledge of how and when to adjust the crown.
Blades of the current blade assemblies are generally hardened SST or carbide. Blades of these materials are generally produced in a small cross section so they can have the flexibility required to produce crowns of various shapes and sizes. They are generally held in place by a blade holder that is machined from metal in such a way that it can securely hold the blade but is also flexible enough to be shaped into whatever crown is desired. Also, some mechanism for pushing or pulling on the center portion of the blade holder is typically built into the box to manipulate and shape the blade and control how much crown is desired at any given time.